Ombra is the term which applies to an operatic scene involving the appearance of an oracle or demon, witches, or ghosts. Such scenes can be traced back to the early days of opera and were commonplace in the seventeenth century in Italy and France. Operas based on the legends of Orpheus, Iphigenia, and Alcestis provide numerous examples of ombra and extend well into the eighteenth century. Clive McClelland's Ombra: Supernatural Music in the Eighteenth Century is an in-depth examination of ombra and is many influences on classical music performance. McClelland reveals that ombra scenes proved popular with audiences not only because of the special stage effects employed, but also due to increasing use of awe-inspiring musical effects. By the end of the eighteenth century the scenes had come to be associated with an elaborate set of musical features including slow, sustained writing, the use of flat keys, angular melodic lines, chromaticism and dissonance, dotted rhythms and syncopation, tremolando effects, unexpected harmonic progressions, and unusual instrumentation, especially involving trombones. It is clearly distinct from other styles that exhibit some of these characteristics, such as the so-called 'Sturm und Drang' or 'Fantasia.' Futhermore, parallels can be drawn between these features and Edmund Burke's 'sublime of terror,' thus placing ombra music on an important position in the context of eighteenth-century aesthetic theory.

Ombra acts as a window to the social life and customs of the late 19th century England. It is the story of Katherine Courtenay, a great heiress whose parents died even before she was able to recognize them. She lived in Langton-Courtenay with her nurse, governess, and many servants under the guardianship of her father's uncle. Things took a turn when she received a letter from her distant uncle asking her to visit him and his daughter 'Ombra.' Excerpt from Ombra "At fifteen Kate Courtenay was the very impersonation of youthful beauty, vigour, and impetuous life. She seemed to dance as she walked, to be eloquent and rhetorical when she spoke, out of the mere exuberance of her being. Her hair, which was full of colour, chestnut-brown, still fell in negligent abundance about her shoulders; not in stiff curls, after the old mode, nor crêpé, according to the new, but in one undulating, careless flow. "

Ombra is Carlo Gross's modern take on the authentic Italian salumi bar in the bustling heart of Melbourne. The Ombra cookbook features the best of Carlo's food and hospitality. With family heirloom recipes and dishes inspired by his travels all over Italy, the Italian ideals of preservation and quality produce are on proud display in this collection of familiar and homely food that's perfect for sharing over a lively conversation.

Is the spirit a mysterious internal force or a religious ideal? Is it a tangible reality or a magical construct? This text attempts to answer these questions by proposing a new interpretation of the work of modern and contemporary European artists.